LOS ANGELES – The Chico State baseball team may have lost 17-9 to Cal State LA in the CCAA series opener on Friday at Reeder Field, but Troy Kent got one of the 31 total hits in the contest to run his hitting streak to 20 games, moving much closer to the program's record.
Daniel Code holds the Chico State record of 22 games set in the 2007 season.
While Kent got the hit he needed to continue his chase into history, it turned out to be a difficult day for Wildcat pitching as the Golden Eagles, holding the second-best batting average in the CCAA, racked up 19 hits off at least five different pitchers in the game. Chico State was no different as they tallied 12 against three different pitchers. Jesse Gadd, Jeremy Keller and Thade Miller each had two knocks in their outing at the plate.
Chico State (13-9, 8-9 CCAA) got on the board first with a two-out solo home run from Keller in the second inning. Cal State LA (13-10, 7-6 CCAA) did respond in its half of the inning capitalizing on a Wildcat error that allowed the tying run to come across.
The Wildcats built a commanding lead against Golden Eagle starter Brent Jacques. Ernie Arambula and Lorenzo Mariani each opened the inning with base hits and leadoff man Alexander Johnson brought both of them home with a triple to right field. Kent's only hit in the game, a single to right center, knocked in Johnson and Gadd kept the hitting momentum going with a single through the right side. Elijah Pascual successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt to move two runners into scoring position. While sacrifice bunts are productive outs, it would turn out to be unnecessary as Stefan Foley drew a walk to load the bases and end Jacques' day. LA reliever Eric Navarrete got the eighth hitter in the inning out, but Miller came through with an RBI single to plate Gadd and give the Wildcats a 7-1 lead.
Just when it appeared the Wildcats were in complete control of the game, the Golden Eagles responded in a big way in the fourth inning, plating nine unanswered runs, including six straight hits and a three-run jack to give Cal State LA a 10-7 lead.
The Wildcats did get one of those runs back in the fifth inning one three straight hits by Foley, Keller and Miller.
Cal State LA was able to knock in three runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to take a 17-8 lead.
Chico State had a small rally started in the ninth inning. Pinch-hitter Ryan Blanchard led off reaching on an error, late substitutions Daniel Vierra and Andrew Crane drew walks to load the bases with one out. Carson Stevens, who also came in as a substitution, drove in one run with a single through the left side. Following a pitching change, the Golden Eagles got the two outs to end the game.
The Wildcats and Golden Eagles return to Reeder Field for the 9/7-inning doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., permitting weather as rain is on the forecast in Los Angeles.
